Dental Toothpicks Get an Upgrade

This tooth pick is made for one use only. Its slim design works where other tooth cleaning brushes do not, especially for tight teeth with no space between each tooth. Much easier to use than floss and with the gentle brush does a good job on massaging the gums between every tooth. The brush even has a bendable tip for getting to the areas next to the tongue. It is important not to forget the tongue side of your gums.

The pointed end has ridges for ridding the teeth of soft plaque. The point is thin and can be used for any over lapping areas of your teeth.

Sometimes the brush breaks off so be careful not to swallow if that should happen.

Also, beware of bleeding the first two of weeks using the pick. Use a mild salt rinse after use until your gums heal and your oral health is stabilized. If bleeding should happen occasionally that is a sign you are neglecting that area or skipping your daily routine.

Gum disease is a first indicator of other health issues. Most likely if you have deep untreated gum pockets you probably have high blood pressure, as well. A good article about a recent study covers the findings; To Keep Your Blood Pressure in Check, Don’t Forget to Brush and Floss.

This redesigned toothpick has been a plus for maintaining healthy gums my dentist likes to see very six months. The dentist is happy, even though, I no longer use the prescription rinse. Once a day application while I am on the computer, or watching the late night news, has been a big improvement on the health of my gums. I have a full set of teeth and the toothpick takes care of every area of my mouth.

Even in the big consumer area of Los Angeles I often do not see this product in drug stores or Target. It was stocked on shelves more often five years ago. Search the Internet for the best price and buy in bulk.

Have you seen flossers on the blacktop in your workplace parking lot? Gross. I hope those people have a big bottle of hand sanitizer in the car. If you tend to use this pick while driving in rush hour traffic please dispose of in a car trash container.

I emailed Prestige Brands Holdings asking about the polypropylene used for these plastic tooth picks. There are biodegradable PPs manufactured. Are these picks made with such a plastic? I hoped to find out.

Some days later I did get a reply from the maker. The email did not say they are made of a biodegradable plastic.

"The brushpicks are made out of Pyalene. Pyalene is a plastic resin – Polyoxymethylene Acetal Copolymer. Pyalene is in compliance with FDA Regulations and there is no antibacterial coating on the product".

I went to Wikipedia with this information and I can not find any information for an everyday laymen's discussion. I am assuming it does not breakdown in our lifetime. I dumped a few picks in my compost bin for some backyard science.

My used picks are tossed into the big green recycle bin for paper, bottles and plastics. I hope this small pick is recycled into the city's recycle program.